By Sahil Pandey

New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Thursday said that India and Israel are set to fast-track negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with a high-level Israeli delegation scheduled to arrive in New Delhi in late February.

Speaking to ANI about strengthening bilateral ties, Ambassador Azar said the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the agreement were signed during Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's visit last year.

'At the end of February, actually two weeks from now, we plan to have a round of negotiations. A delegation from Israel will come to India to engage. We are thinking of having this in two stages, to first concentrate on the sort of low-hanging fruit and then go to the tougher issues,' Azar stated.

He added that the intention is to finalise the deal within the year, noting India's recent success in signing agreements with major global markets, including the EU, UAE, and Australia.

India and Israel formally signed the ToR to begin negotiations for an FTA in November 2025.

Addressing the ongoing regional tensions, the Ambassador emphasised the need for de-radicalisation and the implementation of a 20-point plan in Gaza.

He expressed hope that diplomacy would prevail and that Hamas would fulfil commitments made in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh to demilitarise.

'India can play a major role because India is the fastest-growing economy today in the world and has a lot of opportunities to offer to all the players in our region, whether it be Israel or the Arab countries,' he told ANI.

Commenting on the recent meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, Azar highlighted a shared focus on neutralising threats posed by the Iranian regime.

'The general interest of Israel is to make sure that all the elements in the plan that the radical regime in Iran had to exterminate the state of Israel, that all the elements of that plan are neutralised. This includes the nuclear programme, the ballistic missile programme, and the assistance of Iran to their proxies,' Azar said.

He further asserted that while diplomacy is preferred, the US is building military capabilities to signal that 'enough is enough' regarding Iran's history of 'stalling and deceiving' the international community.

While a formal announcement is still pending, the Ambassador expressed high expectations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel. He confirmed that professional teams from both sides are working to ensure the visit delivers 'maximum possible benefit.'

The two nations are currently engaging at a professional level to enhance defence industry cooperation and streamline financial partnerships in high-tech sectors, with a focus on AI, quantum, and cybersecurity. Additionally, the visit is expected to strengthen long-standing collaboration across transportation, agriculture, water management, and other areas.

'We hope that the visit happens as soon as possible,' Azar concluded, underscoring the shift toward a more technologically integrated partnership between the two nations. (ANI)